Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, saws were essential tools used for various purposes, primarily in woodworking and construction. The saw is mentioned in several passages throughout the Bible, indicating its significance in ancient craftsmanship and daily life.
Old Testament ReferencesThe earliest mention of saws in the Bible is found in the context of King David's military conquests. In
2 Samuel 12:31 , it is recorded that David "brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and made them work at the brick kilns." This passage highlights the use of saws as tools for labor and construction, reflecting their importance in the infrastructure and economy of the time.
In
1 Kings 7:9 , saws are indirectly referenced in the description of Solomon's Temple: "All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court." This indicates the use of saws in the precise cutting of stones, demonstrating the advanced craftsmanship and architectural skills employed in the construction of the Temple.
Symbolic and Metaphorical UsesSaws also appear in metaphorical contexts within the Scriptures. In
Isaiah 10:15 , the prophet uses the imagery of a saw to convey a message about pride and humility: "Does an ax raise itself above the one who swings it, or a saw boast over the one who saws with it?" Here, the saw symbolizes human tools and instruments, emphasizing the futility of boasting in one's own strength or abilities apart from God.
New Testament ContextWhile the New Testament does not explicitly mention saws, the tools and trades of the time would have included saws as part of the carpenter's toolkit. Jesus, known as the son of a carpenter (
Matthew 13:55), would have been familiar with saws and other woodworking tools, reflecting His humble earthly life and the value of labor.
Cultural and Historical SignificanceIn the ancient Near East, saws were typically made of bronze or iron, with teeth that were either set or unset, depending on the material being cut. The development and use of saws were crucial for the construction of buildings, the crafting of furniture, and the creation of various wooden implements used in daily life and religious practices.
The presence of saws in biblical narratives underscores the practical and symbolic roles they played in the lives of the Israelites. As tools of both labor and metaphor, saws serve as reminders of the diligence required in work and the humility needed in recognizing God's sovereignty over human endeavors.
Strong's Hebrew
4050. megerah -- a saw... 4049, 4050. megerah. 4051 . a saw. Transliteration: megerah Phonetic
Spelling: (meg-ay-raw') Short Definition:
saws. Word Origin
...3485. Yissaskar -- perhaps "there is recompense," a son of Jacob...
... Issachar. (strictly yis-saws-kawr'); from nasa' and sakar; he will bring a reward;
Jissaskar, a son of Jacob -- Issachar. see HEBREW nasa'. see HEBREW sakar....
Library
Demonstration v. --Of Wars.
... [738] For thou, Sennacherib, art the axe in the hands of Him that cuts, and thou
art the saw in the hands of Him thatsaws, and the rod in the hand of Him that...
The Idumeans Being Sent for by the Zealots, came Immediately to...
... very terrible, Ananus gave the guards in the cloisters leave to go to sleep; while
it came into the heads of the zealots to make use of thesaws belonging to...
Of the Second Seal.
... They divided many from head to foot withsaws, they cast many to the wild beasts,
they compelled many to fight together; so that there perished about two...
A Ruler who Wronged his People
... married. All these buildings were of costly stones, hewn according to
measurements, sawed withsaws, both on the inside and outside....
The Jews Instigated by the Emperor Attempt to Rebuild their Temple...
... from heaven and consumed all the builders' tools: so that the flames were seen preying
upon mallets, irons to smooth and polish stones,saws, hatchets, adzes...
We Would Here, as if all Nations on the Earth were Present...
... in potters' furnaces, produced by anvils and hammers, scraped with the silversmith's,
and filed down with ordinary files, cleft and hewn withsaws, with augers...
Psalm 115:2. Second Metre. As the New Tune of the 50Th Psalm....
... iron carve the senseless stock, Lopt from a tree, or broken from a rock: People
and priest drive on the solemn trade, And trust the gods thatsaws and hammers...
Psalm 115 to the Tune of the 50Th Psalm.
... People and priest drive on the solemn trade,. And trust the gods thatsaws and
hammers made.]. Be heav'n and earth amazed! 'Tis hard to say....
The Image of Self.
... Let no man call me merciful, when I tortured the Ammonites cruelly, putting them
undersaws, and under harrows and axes of iron, and made them pass through the...
'A Greater than Solomon'
... in them. They may represent to us the impotence of wisesaws to get themselves
practised. A guide-post is not a guide. It stretches...
Thesaurus
Saws (4 Occurrences)...Saws (4 Occurrences).
... 1 Chronicles 20:3 He brought forth the people who were therein,
and cut them with
saws, and with iron picks, and with axes.
...Saw (6047 Occurrences)
... air. 9. (vi) To use a saw; to practice sawing; as, a mansaws well. 10.
(vi) To cut, as a saw; as, the saw or millsaws fast. 11. (vi...
Picks (7 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 12:31 He brought forth the people who were therein, and put them under
saws, and under iron picks, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through...
Axes (10 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 12:31 He brought forth the people who were therein, and put them under
saws, and under iron picks, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through...
Sitting (201 Occurrences)
... of work. "The carpentersaws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze, sitting on
the ground or upon the plank he is planning. The washerwoman...
Ax (12 Occurrences)
... (6) megherah (1 Chronicles 20:2), translated in this one passage as axes, but better
translated "saws." (7) cherebh (Ezekiel 26:9), rendered ax in this passage...
Ammonite (22 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 12:31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under
saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them...
Axe (19 Occurrences)
... (6) megherah (1 Chronicles 20:2), translated in this one passage as axes, but better
translated "saws." (7) cherebh (Ezekiel 26:9), rendered ax in this passage...
Say (11805 Occurrences)
Sharp (115 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 12:31 He brought forth the people who were therein, and put them under
saws, and under iron picks, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through...
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